betplays Bangladesh: What Is Bayraktar TB2 Drone? Is India Ready For The Challenge?
Bayraktar TB2 drone Photo: X/@Defence_IDA Bayraktar TB2 drone Photo: X/@Defence_IDA 
Adding further tension to the strained bilateral ties with India, Bangladesh reportedly deployed the deadly Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 drones along the Indo-Bangladesh border.
According to report by India Today, Bangladesh Army resorted to these high-tech drone for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance purposes. However, the positioning of the drones at a sensitive region like Indo-Bangla border has garnered many questions.
Responding to the neighbouring country's latest defence strategy, the Border Security Force (BSF) has reportedly tightened border surveillance.
The high-tech Turkish Bayraktar TB2 gained prominence during theNogorno-Karabakh war between Armenia and Azerbaijan in 2020 when Azaerbaijan, with a comparatively smaller defence repertoire, dismantled Armenia which had Russian-origin T72 Tanks, missiles, and rockets, among other weapons in its arsenal.
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Bayraktar TB2 drones: FeaturesBayraktar, which in Turkish means the flagbearer, was developed by Turkey. With a maximum speed of about 230 kmph, the drones are capable of destroying modern tanks deploying their MAM (Smart Micro Munition) laser-guided missiles.
In its ability to carry a maximum payload of 150kg, the TB2 drones can incorporate up to four such MAMs in one flight. The state-of-the-art payload configuration of the drone encompasses an electro-optical camera module, an infrared camera module, a laser designator, a laser range finder and a laser pointer.
Moreover, the drone has a flight time of over 24 hours and an operational length of nearly 300 kilometres.
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A new challenge for IndiaThe positioning of the drones along the India-Bangladesh border is considered a challenge as India shares its longest boundary with Bangladesh.
What makes the job tricky for the Indian armed forces is the topography of the border runs through the mountains, rivers and dense forests. Trcking of the light-weight and fast-moving drones become difficult in such terrains.
Besides Bangladesh, Pakistan also deployed Bayraktar TB2 dronesin strategic locations in 2023 following an extensive training session attended by a team of Pakistan Air Force officers in Turkey.
India's arsenal to combat drone threatsTo combat drone threats, Indian armed forces can resort to drones like Heron TP alongside intensifying counter-drone operations in sensitive regions, as per the report by India Today.
India's drone arsenal got a major boost in October this year with the signing of a Rs 32,000-crore deal ensuring the purchase of 31 Predator drones from the US. Out of these, 15 Predators will go to the Indian Navy while the rest will be divided equally between the Air Force and the Army.
Besides drones, India's arsenal of advanced defence weaponry also includes AGM-114R Hellfire missiles and laser-guided Small Diameter Bombs (SDB) as well.
Moreover, the Indian Army recently procured four satcom-enabled Heron Mark-II UAVs from Israel.
India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is also developing its own MALE-category drone, Tapas BH-201betplays, by investing Rs 1,800 crore in the last 13 years. However, the Tapas BH-201 is yet to be inducted by the Indian armed forces as it faces the major challenge of getting a drone platform certified.